U.S. News & World Report recognizes online programs

The online graduate education program of Emporia State University has been ranked by U.S. News & World Reports in the Top 100 programs in the nation.

U.S. News released its rankings of online programs on Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2012.

Emporia State’s online graduate education program was ranked No. 86. The university offers online master’s degree programs in business education; curriculum and instruction; early childhood education; educational administration; health, physical education, and recreation; instructional design and technology; master teacher; special education, teaching and TESOL (Teaching of English to Speakers of Other Languages).

“Most of our graduate students work full-time and are place bound around the state, region, nation, and world,” said Dr. Ken Weaver, dean of The Teachers College. “To provide these students access to the quality graduate programs offered by Emporia State University, the online format accommodates students’ work schedules, and students can work on their courses at home in order to advance their careers.”

A total of 208 regionally accredited institutions that granted master’s degrees in education were surveyed for the report, according to information from U.S. News.

“Emporia State University has been teaching online since 1996,” said Dr. Kathy Ermler, dean of the Graduate School and Distance Education. “The first program to be fully accredited was the HPER graduate program. With a long history of quality education graduate programs, ESU will continue to prepare future generations of educators and education professionals with quality graduate education programs.”

The publication also ranked online bachelor’s degree programs. Emporia State University offers a bachelor’s degree in interdisciplinary studies and a bachelor of science degree information resource studies. These programs ranked No. 158 out of a total of 237 regionally accredited for-profit, private and public institutions surveyed.

Both programs allow students to create their own majors, according to Dr. Susan Kendrick, chair of the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies.

The students have to meet the university’s academic program requirements, Kendrick said. They also are advised to have at least 15 hours of classes in one area. The study areas are pulled together in a senior thesis, or capstone project.

In the past, Kendrick said, students have chosen content areas that included counseling and student affairs administration; supporting a child’s learning through play; sociology, psychology and communication; physician’s assistant; pathophysiology; and business and literature.

The IRS degree is composed of six general areas: communication, organizational studies, psychology and sociology, research methods, information resources and information technology.